This invention relates to a discontinuance device for a central reserve. It finds applications in the field of road technology and more especially in the technique of carriageway separation.
The carriageway separation devices used currently can be classed into two large groups in relation to their behaviour in case of shock.
The first group exhibits a minimum deformation in case of shock and tends to send the vehicle back towards its carriageway. The separators belonging to this group are therefore relatively rigid or semi-rigid and are generally anchored to the ground and/or made of very massive elements. This separator group is the most used and comprises the concrete wall or concrete separator and the metal guard anchored to the ground or single or double lane rail made of supports driven into the ground, spacers and sliding elements.
The second group, conversely, tends to move in case of shock in order to absorb the energy of the shock. The separators of such group are deformed is and/or move therefore towards the opposite carriageway where they are installed as a central reserve over a distance depending on the conditions of the impact. These separators are generally used in temporary installations, building sites for example, or in areas where the deformation of the separator is not of paramount importance, i.e. areas where the central reserve is wide. Standards have been defined regarding the retention capacities of both these separators groups.
Here, the separators of the first group are considered more particularly; they are generally intended for occupying their long-term position or definitively between the carriageways. We shall use the term permanent separator throughout to designate them.
To enable communications through the central reserves comprising permanent separators, the said separators are discontinued, for example in the case of a highway, every two kilometers or so. At the corresponding places or communication zones, the separators are removable. However, for safety to be ensured throughout the highway, the retention capacity of the separators, at right angle to the said communication zone, must be sufficient and ideally with the same retention level or, still, equivalent to that of the upstream and downstream permanent separators. In known devices, opening easiness and rapidity are reverse functions of the retention capacity because of the presence of the anchoring system to the ground and/or the weight of the separators. If the retention capacity is smaller, the corresponding zone must be as short as possible and must therefore be arranged on a portion of the highway that does not exhibit any particular risk of cars losing control. Still, if for an emergency passage, the communication zone need only be a few meters wide, this communication zone must be a ten-meter wide for the traffic to be diverted from one side of the central reserve to the other. Besides, there are cases where diverting the carriageways must be contemplated on a regular basis. It is especially the case in the vicinity of toll stations or still in mountainous zones exhibiting galleries that must be maintained and where it is preferable to close the traffic completely by diverting it to the opposite carriageway.
Thus, if the state of the art knows communication zone retention devices is that can be open or closed by a single person without any heavy equipment, the latter only relate to a few ten meter-wide passages that can be used for diverting traffic carriageways and/or that exhibit smaller retention capacities with respect to the permanent separators.
The purpose of the invention is therefore to remedy these shortcomings and to suggest a discontinuance device for a central reserve in a communication zone between carriageways that exhibits a same level retention capacity or, still, close of those of the upstream and downstream permanent separators over a width ranging from a few meters to several tens of meters and that can be handled quickly and without any heavy equipment by one operator.
The invention therefore relates to a discontinuance device for a central reserve fitted with a permanent separator for a communication zone between carriageways exhibiting a closing position ensuring continuity of the separation of the carriageways and opening positions, respectively traffic emergency and diversion opening positions, where the carriageways are connected, made of fabricated metal modules and comprising supports driven into the ground.
According to the invention, the device comprises:
at least one arm consisting of at least one arm module, whereas the said module has two lateral walls, whereby the said arm is mobile in rotation around a vertical axle forming a joint at one of its ends, whereas the said arm comprises at least one pivoting retractable foot containing castors intended for lifting and bringing the said arm into rotation in order to ensure easy opening for traffic diversion;
a locking module mobile in translation on the arm in order to provide an emergency opening.
The invention also relates to the characteristics thereunder, considered individually or according to all their technically possible combinations:
two connection modules are arranged between both ends of the device and both ends of the permanent separators, whereas the said connection modules are intended for ensuring continuity of the separation with both adjacent permanent separators;
each support is arranged in a sheath driven into the ground, whereas the said support is retractable in order to be disengaged from the ground and arranged in a spacer, whereas the said spacer is integral with the lateral walls of an arm module;
the arm and locking modules have a trapezoidal profile, the lateral walls of the said modules are closed and ground-resting plates are arranged laterally at the base of the said modules, in order to strengthen the retention capacities of the said modules;
the arm module is rigidified by at least two ribs provided along each lateral wall and by at least one internal reinforcing piece;
each lateral wall of the locking module comprises along its internal face at least two U-shaped profiles for strengthening, whereas each of the said profiles comprises at least two lateral guiding castors distributed along the said profiles and one removable castor is arranged at one end of the said module;
each arm module intended for receiving the locking module that would then move to cover the former, comprises at its upper face at least one pair of castors;
the spacer comprises a joint so that the removable support, once retracted from the ground, can be tilted horizontally in order to remain inside the gauge delineated by an arm module;
the axle forming the joint is a support driven into the ground made of a round metal tube and the tube is arranged in at least one spacer comprising an adapted circular passage, whereas the said spacer is integral with the lateral walls of an arm module;
the device comprises a retention means intended for limiting the rotary opening of the arm up to a pre-set position;
the assembly between a first arm module and a second module of the same arm is obtained by bolting or keying the corresponding end of the second module on an integral linking frame and protruding from the first module;
the assembly between a first arm module and a second module of the same arm is obtained by covering-overlapping and bolting or keying the corresponding ends of the said modules;
the assembly between two modules of the same arm is ensured by bolting or keying an add-on part overlapping and covering the corresponding ends of the said modules;
as the device is closed, the locking module is keyed on the modules of adjacent arms;
the connection module arranged between the end of the arm comprising the joint and the permanent separator exhibits two closed lateral walls and comprises at its upper part a joint-holding arm;
the arm module is approx. 0.8 m in height, 0.6 m in width at the base, whereas the base is extended laterally by two ground-resting plates, each 0.15 m in width, 0.27 m in width at the apex for a 3.5 m length.
stops are provided on the arm modules in order to limit the covering translation movements of the locking module;
the rising or descending movements of the retractable pivoting axle comprising castors are controlled by a screw-jack type means or similar;
in one arm, the rising and descending movements of the retractable pivoting foot comprising castors and the rising and descending movements of the support can be controlled by a single synchronised means;
the current length of the device is at least 32 m and it comprises two arms, each of the arms consisting of at least four arm modules.
Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will become apparent from reading the description of embodiment examples in conjunction with the drawings.